In the traditional network TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) model, the client requesting some content needs to first map the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in the name of the content to a server. This server will mostly stay the same for the length of the session. The session is actually bound to this server, and the session's goal is to transfer the specific content held from this server. In such a host-centric networking paradigm, the core networking primitives revolve around naming hosts and network interfaces. Network devices can forward packets according to the destination addresses.
Recently, information-centric networking (ICN) has been proposed. Examples of ICN include, but are not limited to, Named Data Networking (NDN), Content Centric Networking (CCN), Content Oriented Networking (CON), Data Oriented Networking (DON), and Content Based Networking (CBN). Unlike traditional host-centric networking, information is directly named in an ICN. Thus, ICN allows a client device to focus on the data needed, as opposed to referencing a specific location from which the data may be retrieved.
A recent development in video streaming is 360 degree video streaming, where content consumers are able to select their own desired FoV in a streamed video, 360 degrees around nearly any selected axis. Given the large amount of data transfer involved in 360 degree video streaming, ICN has emerged as a promising candidate for supporting 360 degree video streams from producers, over the network, and to users. In such an instance, one problem may be how to reduce bandwidth consumed by the network when it is providing high resolution video streams to provide a better viewer experience to users watching the 360 degree video stream over the network.